Recipients have participated as entertainers a minimum of 10 years. Given to those people whose talent and love of performing personify the magic of Festival. Who, with their special gifts continue to ensure the artistic quality of the festival year in, year out, and all year ‘round.
Pictures of the awards located at the page’s bottom.
Unicorn Recipients, 1981 – 2023:
1981
- David Bryce
- Sara Fenn
- Fran Fignar
- Carr Hagerman
- George Hermann
- Bill Lochen
- MN Morris Dancers
- Gary Parker
- Ruth Replogle
1984
- Terrence Foy
- Michael Hennessey
- Joe Kudla
- Mark Sieve
1988
- Lloyd Brant
- Elizabethan Syngers
- Marilyn Hagerman
- William Lauder
- Brian Murphy
- William Peltzman, Sr.
- Royal Strings
- Tim Ruedy
- Steven Schoenbohm
- Bill Walsh
- Elise Walsh
1989
- Kelle Geise
- Tom Klein
- Les Chanteurs de la Rose
- Jac Kevin Martins
- Royal Scottish Country Dancers
- Chris Ward
- Martha Woofter
1990
- Mary Bujold
- Casey Franklin
- Ken Larson
- Hazen Markoe
- Harold “Mac” McMillen
- Mark Pilon
- Gerald Saetveit
- Linda Sparling
- Jon Wee
- Steve Wilson
1991
- Brian Bram
- Julia C. Fuller
- Bob Hafeman
- Todd Key
- B.J. Kobett
- Don Lemmerman
- F.J. Lulling
- Todd Menton
- Walter Napiorkowski
- Jason Parker
- SAK Theatre
- Kimberly Smith
- James Swanson
- Jim Van Hook
1992
- Crist Ballas
- Tom Hendricks
- Heidi Klima
- Jay William Koelsch
- Michael Madden
1993
- Robert E. Anderson
- Vic Blackledge
- Anna Bliss
- Jim Bottom Sr.
- John Karger
- Arthur Knowles
- Anjila Kozel
- Laura Lochen
- John Sjogren
- Gaylord T. Stauffer
- Mark D. Sterling
- Ed Stern
1994
- Tanya Brody
- John Eisner
- Sylvia Langworthy
- Michael Matheny
- Christopher Michela
1995
- Cynthia Ahlquist
- Jeff Bertilson
- Stephanie Brady
- Jim Cunningham
- Kerry Kerl
- D’lis A. Schmidt
- Richard A. Shepardson
- Lue Vraa
- Tim Wick
1996
- Robert Alexander
- Rosie Cole
- Scott E. Murray
- John Neitz
- Brad Peterson
- Mikael Rudolph
- Lojo (Lori) Russo
- Loretta Simonet
- Curtis Teague
- Bill Wiard
- James C. Zappa, Jr.
1997
- Mike Borka
- Steven Brust
- Gretchen Curtner
- Lorraine Garland
- Wayne J. Grimmer
- Kristin Hawbaker
- Bob Hirte
- Jeffrey Larson
- Michael Ritchie
- Lisa Severson
- Amy Spears
1998
- John Behr
- Stephanie Brody
- Pat Fischer
- Mike Grogan
- Jeffrey A. Kasper
- Anna Kobett
- Jason LeMay
- Michael P. Lunzer Jr.
- Joseph E. Smith
- Mary Sterling
- Markus Volimas
1999
- Jeff Cahill
- Arsene Dupin
- Eric Knight
- Christina Neitz
- Mary Rohe
- John Rupkey
- Jill Stanton
- Errol H. (Skip) Stiff
- Kim Swanson
- Paul West
- Alicia Wold
- Brent Wold
2000
- JoAnn Chase
- Lu Christoph
- John Gladman
- Andrew J. Ives
- Greg Michnay
- Chuck Nastrom
- Rudd Rayfield
- Paul Regge
- Guinevere G. Somdahl
- Diana Steben
- Lee Walker
- Patricia Wick
- Alfred Wolfram
- Gary Zielinski
2001
- Todd-Michael Breer
- Dane Breimhorst
- Janet Cardle
- Barbara Everson
- Erin Kasper
- Garry Kopp
- Scott Livingston
- B.J. Palashewski
- Donald Preston
- Mark Vincent Raigna
- David Williams
- Dayna Jean Wolter
2002
- Kelley Bailey
- Dana Baird
- Judy Blythe
- Doug Bradley
- Lolly Foy
- George Grubb
- Dee Lorilee Johnston
- Greg Marchand
- Butch Roy
- Pat Ryan
- Gary Schulte
- Keith Spears
2003
- Kirk Bachler
- Carolyn Boulay
- Margaret Conner-Messer
- Randall Davidson
- David DuBois
- Ted Hodapp
- Larry Klueh
- Judy MacGibbon
- Eric R. Nelson
- Christine Onusko
- Leif Peterson
- Christopher Winter-Ritt
2004
- Tom Barnes
- Eric Breece
- Meghan Brunner
- Tim Dennis
- Reid Hegland
- Annette Hunt
- Anita Kelling
- Corey Lerbs
- Stephen Miller
- Derek Phillips
- Luis N Rosa
- Stephen J. Wilson
2005
- Eric Clark
- James Green
- Dan Hasselius
- Michael Heck
- Dan Kujawski
- Kelly Larson
- Marianne Lerbs
- Bill Peltzman, Jr.
- Chris Peterson
- David Potter
- Craig Smith
- Steven West
2006
- Sam Choo
- Lori Dahlstrom
- Gregory de Danann
- Randy Everson
- Kirstin Lunzer
- Laszlo Nemesi, III
- Eric Neuville
- Scott Alan Peterson
- Jules Raberding
- David Rutledge
- Lindsay Weiler
- Jennifer Zalar
2007
- Suze Becker
- Stan Bookout
- Valerie Cramer-Brugman
- Andrew Erlanson
- Jay Hatch
- Angelique Montag
- Ashley Nave
- Dan Patton
- Laura Lynn Rose
- Frank Runyon
- Ishmael Williams
2008
- Corey de Danann
- Barbara Friebe
- Tomas Goodlaxson
- Scott Lund
- Minrod Mier
- Anthony G. Miller
- Andrew Sponsler
- Rachael Sterling
- Raederle Sterling
2009
- Ronald J. Bauman
- Temple Blackwood
- Matt Eppleheimer
- Damon Erickson
- Lara Friedman-Shedlov
- Jef Hall
- Bradley R. Kirchmann
- Sean Monaghan
- Deborah Mullen
- Ronald (Riki) Robinson
2010
- Bryan Griffith
- Missy Iverson
- Mark Lazarchic
- Jim Leedham
- David Nordrum
- Jennifer Peck
- David Pipho
- Debbie Robie
- Becca Shaffner
- Jim Stone
2011
- Lori Baerg
- Linda Clayton
- Chris Hudzinski
- Deane Laseter
- Chris Meis
- Nan Miller
- Mary Ellen Weber
2012
- Theodore Anderson
- Greg Arnold
- Julie Bailey
- Kathy Gfeller
- Greg Grandprey
- Kim Grandprey
- Brian Kisch
- Teresa Meis
- Jeff Neppl
- Marc Scovill
2013
- Matt Allex
- Gordon Boudreau
- Kevin Caufield
- Seth Goodlaxson
- Dara Grimmer
- Trevor Hartman
- Peggy Larson
- Erin Nelson
- Chris Olsen
- Molly Zupon
2014
- Chad Dutton
- Eric Lee
- Janet McKernan
- Stuart McKernan
- Stephen Spaise
2015
- Tom Bliese
- Eric Dam
- Katrina Dam
- Amanda Celeste Jaeger
- Stephanie Kirchmann
- Jennifer Merry
2016
- Joel Allard
- William Bradshaw
- Rachael Salisbury Dimba
- Jim Hughes
- Garry Hughes
- Salsa Sterling
2017
- Charles Knutson
- Laurie Richardson Sweep
- Katy Alex Solko
- Peter Buckholtz
- Matthew Ledder
2018
- Bret Pasek
- Allie Keogh
- Chris Mortika
- Margaret Miller
- Jennifer L Steadman
2019
- Neal Skoy
- Tracy Fuller
- Sonja Wolf
- Tanja Page
- Hannah Rediske Sturm
- Michael Sturm
2020
- no awards given this year
2021
- Spencer Faust
- Karen Huse
- David Nyquist
- Anna Miller-Sherman
- Adam Solko
- Jeff Westegaard
2022
- Lindsey Marth
- Paul Score
- Adam Treece
- Eric Thompson
- Rick Lockwood
2023
- Micah Mills
- Gaea Dill-D’Ascoli
- Christopher Ackert
- Kayleah Ackert
- Amber Bathke
- Ren Riga
2024
- Charlie Cecile
- Carol Strand
- Kevin Melnick
- Geoffrey Brown
- Steven Hoff
Pictures of the Awards:
There have been several incarnations of the loot associated with the Unicorn Award. I’m attempting to get a picture of each. If you can contribute, please contact me on Facebook.
- Leather Framed Photo Unicorn
Years 1981-1984
(award pictured: Bill Lochen, 1981)
- Wooden Mirror With Unicorn Coin
Years 1988-1990
(award pictured: Ken Larson, 1990)
- Vertical Mirror With Laser-Etched Unicorn
Years 1991-1996
(award pictured: Tim Wick, 1995)
- Horizontal Mirror With Laser-Etched Unicorn
Years 1997-2007
(award pictured: Dee Johnston, 2002)
- Framed Black & White Unicorn Print
Years 2008-2016 - Horizontal Mirror With Bust of Laser-Etched Unicorn
- Years 2017-current